To try and make the family feel included in your wonder adventure. You could make up a list of things you will need help with.

Your relatives will feel like they are contributing and you can stay in control of your schedule.

People want to help so let them, make meals, clean, run errands, buy groceries.

Get a good pair of ear plugs and when you need to rest do it. You may want someone around the house to help you wife while you rest.

Be kind to yourself and do not get over do it. The last thing you need is a relapse and with a new baby overdoing it will be easy. Enlist these eager relatives to help.

Best wishes, I am very excited for you and will be praying for an easy transition to your new life.

Norma

Thanks again for the well wishes. My daughter is perfect and im in total love.

The family, even though I thought they would be a burden to my head, have been very helpful. My head is at a whole new level of headache, but im going to have to adapt and persevere until we get to go home in a few days.

Once again thank you everyone.

Hey all, just checking in. Baby is doing great!

Myself, its a different story. I have really really good days lately where I feel perfect. Other days not so much. It really depends on how I sleep (which shockingly im actually sleeping some now) and how many people come to visit. Todays a bad day, everyones been over nonstop since 10am. Yesterday we had noone, and it was excellent day.

Anyways, the headaches are improving big time. Just barely there at this point. My main concern is my left ear. It started last week, which is when my headaches actually started getting a lot better, and so did my sleeping. Basically it feels like a really cold or really hot sensation (kind of hard to explain, but almost feels like blood flowing or dripping) in my ear canal to my outer ear. A lot of the times there is nothing coming out, but at times there is a clear fluid coming out. Not much, usually just a fingertip full. Not sure what its all about though.

As far as work, I go back to the neurologist at the end of the month. Im hoping he clears me. I told him how into fitness I am, and he encouraged I attempt to lightly weightlift again, but no running or jogging for a bit longer. So hopefully that works outs good, and if it does, then I def. think I should be able to work!

Thanks again everyone, and sorry if this is a jambled mess, im just trying to post real quick as company leaves, so I can attempt to get some rest.

Hey there, glad you are at least having some good days! The fluid in your ear is something that may be worth a phone call to discuss with your doctor. Keep up the hood work and glad to hear mom & baby are well too.

Well im back. Things have been slowly but surely looking up. The good days are also greatly outweighing the bad days. Im still getting headaches, but most are minor. At least once a day though I get a headache that stops me dead in my tracks. The dizzyness is all but gone as well, and I can finally focus! But, theres always a but!!

Ive been doing some physical activity in my yard that mimics my job duties. Wow, talk about a game changer. Literally 20 minutes into raking the thatch out of my lawn and I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. Head was throbbing. Its weird though, because Ive been going for walks daily and no issues at all. Im going to attempt to cut the grass tomorrow and see how that goes.

Im also slowly accepting the fact that I will not be the same for a long time, if not ever. Social interaction? Nope, I loathe the idea. Hang out with friends? Nope, hate it now. All stuff I used to love. Heck, I find myself just staring off into space half the time and checking the clock just to pass time.
I mean I really really want to go back to work, but I honestly dont know what the deal is at this point. When I went to the specialist last month he said this month would probably be it for me. Guess we will find out as I go the 28th. I just dont know what he nor work will have to say. I already know im not going to be the same hard, ball of energy go go go worker as I was before. Just a tough realization knowing that im now a changed person, and not knowing if ill ever be that old person again.

Oh and one last venting point. Being the fact that ive literally done nothing since January, even though I lost 30 lbs, i look like complete crap. All those years of hard work in the gym only to lose almost all of my gains. That hurts the most, because im to afraid to work out like I used to.

Also real quick. My work asked me why the specialist didnt do an mri. I told them I dont know. Should I request one? I think id feel better knowing I at least got one, but what, if anything can an MRI show 5 months later??

Imaging such as a CT Scan or MRI are not indicated unless there are some extreme symptoms such as would be common to a stroke or such. They will not show anything except in rare situations. There is a type of MRI called Diffusion Tensored Imaging that can show the microscopic damage in some people. But, even DTI's do not change the treatment.

Doctors use them to rule out rare but serious issues. Insurance companies have yet to put a slow down to these expensive and intrusive (CT Scans have the same radiation levels as 60 to 200 X-rays) procedures.

It sounds like you are improving so further diagnostics would not be much value.

So since a lot of you all are far more experienced than myself in the recovery sector, how do you think I would fair going back to work next week? Only thing that scares me was not to long into raking my yard, my head was throbbing. Other than that the headaches are minor. Not sure if I should tell the dr that or just "forget" and happily go back to work?

If you take it slow, you should be able to manage some level of activity. You need to be the judge of how much activity you can tolerate. Raking thatch is not a slow and gentle activity. So, give it a careful try.

Ya, most of my job involves shoveling raking ect. This time of the year though I usually start off by mowing grass on large and loud mowers for a little bit until our college kids arrive to help. I know I wont be able to tolerate that, as just winterizing my snowblower and hearing that run for a few minutes really hurt.

Im just in a catch 22. I really want to go back to work, but at the same time im not really convinced im a 100% yet. I did some weight lifting today, and didnt fair to well afterwords. I havent been lightheaded in about 3-4 weeks, but after that, Im extremely lightheaded now, accompanied by headaches.

I just fear that my work will think im a scumbag, especially because I keep telling them I am feeling better (which I am, just having a few issues), and think less of me. Which I do not want to happen.

Just dont know if I should fib to the dr and tell him im good to go, or tell him whats really happening. I know its counter productive to hide the issues, but I really really need to get back to work for my own sanity. Im just hoping ok, maybe I can go back, and just tough it out for a few weeks and Ill adjust. At the same time im also telling myself im setting myself up to make the situation even worse. Ugh, crossroads. Sorry for the vent.